Page 40 of Make-Believe Match

“Okay, but the question isn’t going to be about the night we met. It’s going to be about how we managed to fall in love long-distance in less than three weeks. We live like five states apart.”

“It’s more like two states and a chunk of Canada,” I countered.

She slapped my leg. “You know what I mean!”

“I do.” Chuckling at getting a rise out of her—it was so easy—I thought for a moment. “I think what happened was that we got to know each other as we negotiated back and forth. We started talking all the time. Texting. FaceTiming. Then I secretly flew out to visit you, and we realized we were soul mates, blah blah.”

“Soul mates,blah blah? That’s not going to cut it. I need more info.” She put her coffee cup back in the holder, reached into her bag and pulled out her phone.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m looking for something,” she said, typing, then scrolling. “Aha! Here we go. Juicy questions to ask your crush.”

“Yourcrush? Is this for teenagers?”

“Number one. Who’s the last person you held hands with?”

I laughed. “Held hands?”

“Just answer the question, please.”

“Probably Sara. Or one of the other kids in Camp Lemonade.”

“Romantically,” she pressed.

“I guess my ex-girlfriend, McKenna. Although I’m not much for public displays of affection.”

“I love them, for the record.”

“Of course you do.”

“When did you and McKenna break up?”

“Last December.”

“How long were you together?”

“A couple years, off and on.”

“Why’d you decide to be permanently off?”

I tipped up my coffee cup, unwilling to let Bob Oliver into the conversation and ruin my good mood. “We were just wrong for each other. Wanted different things.”

“Such as?”

“She wanted to get married. I was more focused on my career.” I gave her a sappy look. “Until I met you, kitten.”

She scrunched up her face like she’d stepped in dog shit. “Nope.”

“Doll face?”

“Try again.”

“Boo thang?”

“Try harder.”

“The old ball and chain?”